In the Gospel of Luke, we find Jesus defining what the leaven of the Pharisee’s is: “Beware of the leaven–that is, the hypocrisy–of the Pharisee’s.” Jesus would use very vivid images so as to illustrate/show this kind of deep-seated hypocrisy. In the other parts of the gospel, Jesus likened them to whitewashed tombs that appear so clean from the outside, but inside they are full of filth and dirt. Jesus was also very disturbed with their arrogance and self-righteousness, as if no one could ever surpass them in their piety and religiosity. The word hypocrisy comes from the Greek word “hupokrites” which means to wear a mask or play a role. It was the custom of Greek and Roman stage actors to speak in large masks with mechanical devices for augmenting the force of their voice. These actors, concealing their real faces and changing their real voices, were called hupokrites or hypocrites. This “role playing” or “mask-wearing” was also applicable to their spiritual lives.
This disturbing self-righteousness is again presented to us in the gospel today. In the gospel last Sunday, Jesus told us to imitate in our prayer life the persistent attitude of the poor widow in front of the unjust and insensitive judge in which, because of her great perseverance and persistence, even the unjust judge was moved to grant her favor. Jesus is telling us today not to imitate what the Pharisee did in this Sunday’s gospel. It was told in the gospel that he went to the temple to pray, but what he did was hardly a prayer; though he was thanking God for the blessings that he has received, he was doing so by comparing himself to the tax collector, whom he condemned and belittled: “O God, I thank you that I am not like the rest of humanity —greedy, dishonest, adulterous—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week, and I pay tithes on my whole income.”
Spiritual pride is one of the most destructive sins. It hides itself under the cloak of religiosity and piety that seeks the approval and admiration of others. It’s self-serving and competes with the attention and praise that are due to God. This is that tendency to strive for holiness so that I can win the praises of others around me. Or at times, it is that presumptive attitude that because I am faithful in all of my religious obligations, I am far better than all others. What is so dangerous is that one uses faith in God as a justification or a tool to harm and destroy other people. The good thing is that God can never be fooled by such lip service and empty religiosity.
An authentic relationship with God is not measured by the quantity of our prayers; it is not so much about the hours spent in praying or even the style of our communication with Him, but rather by the quality of our prayer. Our prayer life is not just directed to our own personal growth. It should not just make us feel happy because we have done our obligation towards God, but it must also move us to greater compassion, love and understanding to those whom we may consider struggling in their moral life, those who may not feel welcome to the “temple” or to the church because of their past and present, but wanting to belong and change for the better like the tax collector in the gospel. To grow in our relationship with God does not mean to separate ourselves from those who are having a hard time understanding their faith and the church’s teachings, but rather to be willing to listen to them, especially to their questions and struggles. The hope is that we will avoid that arrogant posture of the Pharisee in the gospel – that as he manifested/showed his faith to the public, he was also ostracizing at the same time the tax collector whom he judged severely because of the latter’s sinfulness. I am deeply convinced that we must never compromise the truth and our faith—there is
always a way to communicate to others the truth without being offensive and judgmental. The Word of God, in as much as it pierces the heart, also invites others to conversion through compassion. How can one convince a son/daughter to embrace or go back to
practicing the faith if the parent’s way to communicate the truth is to let the children feel how horrible they are because of their sinfulness? We can only effectively evangelize others if we provide them a place or an atmosphere where they can be welcomed and safe, regardless of their past and their sinfulness and, from there, communicate to them the truth and the gospel.
When I was in the seminary, I asked my spiritual director how would I know if I am growing in my relationship with God and in my prayer life? Am I growing in my relationship with Him because I am now spending more time in prayer than before? He said “spending more time in prayer can be a good sign, but the best sign that you are indeed growing in your relationship with God is if you are becoming more
inclusive, more accepting, more forgiving, more loving and more understanding of others.” That is really true – if our relationship with God does not affect how we deal with others, then there is a huge problem. As what Jesus himself said “the person who says I love God and I hate my neighbor is a liar.” Indeed, how can we love a God whom we cannot see if we can’t love a person who we can touch and see who is an image of God. So, does our love for God move us to greater love and compassion of others? – Fr. Cary